Oscar sets
the table

Enjoy the Academy Awards'
telecast with a party that
celebrates the year's best films

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY BRYANT FUKUTOMI / BFUKUTOMI@STARBULLETIN.COM THE MENU A dinner inspired by the films nominated for best picture: Appetizer: "Georgia on My Mind" Pecan Salad Entrée: A grilled steak, perfect enough for Howard Hughes, served with a straight line of peas Wine selection: "Sideways"-style Santa Barbara pinot noir Desserts: Frankie's Million Dollar Lemon Meringue Pie and Tinkerbell's "Neverland" Fairy Cakes Recipes and wine suggestions

Oscar is serving up more than glitter, glamour and a hotly contested Academy Awards competition on Sunday. About 1,600 of Hollywood's elite will enjoy a sit-down dinner at the exclusive Governor's Ball following the ceremony.

This is the 11th year that celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck has created the menu for this post-Oscar bash. The gourmet fare includes five pupus, a seven-item antipasti platter, two entrées and a signature dessert. Among the featured dishes are smoked salmon pizza with caviar, truffled artichokes, asparagus with proscuitto, slow-braised Kobe beef short ribs, Maine lobster en croute, and a toasted almond and espresso cream torte.

That's hardly a menu for a home cook. So here's a more practical plan for an Academy Awards night dinner party, inspired by the films nominated for best picture.

The recipes have many do-ahead options, giving you plenty of time to enjoy the show.

The movie "Ray" highlights the life of music legend Ray Charles, who was born in Albany, Ga. The song "Georgia On My Mind" garnered Charles two Grammy Awards and was declared the official state song of Georgia in 1979.

Kick off the meal with an asparagus and roasted pepper salad with Georgia pecans -- a tribute to the "the Genius of Soul." Toasting the pecans enhances their sweet, rich, nutty flavor. Fresh basil, a lemon-Dijon mustard vinaigrette and some mixed greens round out the ingredient list.

We look to "The Aviator" for the main course. This bio-pic about the extravagant and eccentric Howard Hughes includes a dinner scene in which Hughes' plate arrives with a steak and a dozen evenly spaced peas.

Hughes was not only fond of steak, he expected it to be cooked and presented with perfection. OK, he was also disturbed to the point where he couldn't finish his meal after one of the peas was removed. Hopefully your guests won't be so compulsive.

Barbecue guru Steve Raichlen offers a guide to grilling the perfect steak. It is essential, Raichlen says, to start with a tender cut of meat, such as sirloin, tenderloin, porterhouse or New York strip. Grill temperature, seasoning and cooking time are other important elements -- and all easy to master.

Now, Hughes was fond of milk -- he even took a mini-fridge full on his airplane. For effect, you could serve at least a shot glass of milk with your steak entrée. But you'll also need wine -- especially given the presence of the film "Sideways" on the Oscar ballot.

"Sideways" follows two friends on a weeklong vacation in Santa Barbara County's wine country. One character, Miles, is a wine aficionado with a passion for pinot noir. He professes the wine's flavors are "the most haunting and brilliant and subtle and thrilling and ancient on the planet."

Sales of pinot have skyrocketed since the movie's release. Pinot is a versatile wine that pairs well with many foods, and we recommend serving it with your barbecued steak.

For dessert, two choices. In "Million Dollar Baby," Clint Eastwood's character, Frankie, finds solace in homemade lemon meringue pie. The pie's tart lemon filling and ethereal topping are a classic -- much like the actor himself.

Finally, celebrate the magic and fantasy of "Finding Neverland," based on the life of playwright James Barrie. His beloved children's play, "Peter Pan," is a tale about fairies, pirates and children who can fly. What more fitting dessert than "fairy cakes," complete with Tinkerbell wings.

Bon appetit!

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TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX Sandra Oh, left, Thomas Haden Church, Virginia Madsen and Paul Giamatti enjoy some Santa Barbara County pinot noir in "Sideways."

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An Oscar night menu

Take inspiration from the themes
of the nominated films

Break off tough ends of asparagus. Heat 1 inch of water to boiling in a deep skillet. Add asparagus and cook two minutes. Drain asparagus and transfer to bowl of ice water to quickly chill. Drain.

In a medium bowl, stir together peppers, pecans and basil.

To make dressing: Whisk together lemon juice, vinegar, mustard and salt. Slowly whisk in oil until well-incorporated.

To serve, mound salad greens in center of serving platter. Arrange asparagus in two clusters on opposite sides of greens. Spread pecan mixture over greens and asparagus; drizzle dressing over all. Serves 4.

A Perfect Howard Hughes-worthy Steak

Adapted from "The Barbecue! Bible" by Steve Raichlen (Workman Publishing, 1998, $19.95)

Choosing the steak: Tender cuts like sirloin, tenderloin, porterhouse and New York strip are best.

Grill temperature: Preheat to high. On a gas grill, preheat one side to high, one side to medium.

Seasoning: Sprinkle generously with coarse-grained salt, such as kosher or sea salt, and freshly ground or cracked black pepper.

To begin: Place steaks on an oiled grate. After 2 minutes, rotate each steak 45 degrees. This creates an attractive diamond cross-hatch of grill marks.

Side 1: Cook until beads of blood appear on the surface, 1 to 2 minutes for a 1/2-inch-thick steak; 3 to 5 minutes for 1-inch thickness. Turn steak with tongs or a spatula; never use a fork. Punctures by a fork allow the juices to escape.

Side 2: Continue cooking on the other side, rotating after 2 minutes. You'll need slightly less time on the second side.

Testing: Press top of the steak with your index finger. A rare steak will be softly yielding (140 degrees); a medium steak will be firmly yielding (160 degrees); a well-done steak will be firm (170 degrees). Never cut a steak to test for doneness. This, too, drains the juices.

Final touch: Transfer steaks to plates or a platter and season again with salt and pepper. Brush with extra-virgin olive oil or melted butter (optional). Let steaks rest 2 to 3 minutes before serving.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Stir together sugar and cornstarch in a medium-size saucepan until well-blended. Gradually stir in lemon rind and juice until smooth. Mix in water and butter; cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is thickened and then boils for 1 minute. Remove from heat.

Stir egg yolks lightly in a small bowl. Add about half of hot mixture. Slowly pour all of the yolk mixture into saucepan, stirring with a wire whisk to keep lumps from forming. Return saucepan to medium-low heat, stirring constantly, 1 to 2 minutes or until mixture thickens slightly and temperature registers 160 degrees on an instant-read thermometer. Pour into pie shell.

To prepare meringue: Combine egg whites and cream of tartar in a medium-size bowl. Beat on medium speed until soft peaks form. Then gradually beat in sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, until stiff peaks form. Spread meringue over hot filling so it touches pie crust all around edge.

Bake until meringue is lightly browned and temperature in center registers 160 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, about 15 minutes. Remove to a wire rack and cool to room temperature. Refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight. Serve cold. Serves 8.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a muffin pan with paper baking cups

Cream butter and sugar until soft and light. Gradually beat in eggs. Fold in flour alternately with milk. Fill 12 muffin cups, each one 1/2 full.

Bake about 20 minutes, until golden brown, or until a pick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack.

To decorate, slice a piece from top of each cake. Cut each slice in half; set aside. Top cake with a dollop of whipped cream. Arrange cake slices so they look like fairy wings. Makes 12 cupcakes.

Pinot picks

Pay tribute to "Sideways" with these Santa Barbara County pinot noirs:

R. Field Wine Co.: Whitcraft 2002*, $33
Fujioka Wine Merchants: Whitcraft*, $38; Whitcraft Estate, expected this week at $20 or less; Talley Estate*, $28
Wine Stop: Foxen*, $26; Angeline, $13; Calera, $17
Tamura's Fine Wine: Foxen*, $26; Foley, $26; Tax, $22

* Wines featured in the film